Serena Williams’ hopes of making a singles return at the US Open could come down to one crucial factor: how her body responds after competing.
The 44-year-old has already made an unexpected return to professional tennis this summer after nearly four years away, playing doubles at Queen’s Club and Berlin before accepting a wildcard for Wimbledon. Her singles comeback at the All England Club ended in a three-set defeat to Maya Joint, while a knee injury subsequently forced her out of the doubles event alongside sister Venus.
Williams has since returned to action in Cincinnati, where she reunited with Venus in doubles. Although the sisters lost 6-2, 1-6, 10-8 to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, Serena’s movement appeared encouraging enough to reignite speculation over whether she could also play singles in New York.
For former ATP player Chris Eubanks, however, the biggest indication may not come during the match itself but in how Williams feels afterwards.
Eubanks identifies key test for Serena Williams
Speaking on the Big T podcast, Eubanks said he expects the Williams sisters to play doubles together at the US Open, but believes Serena’s singles decision will depend largely on her physical condition.
“I don’t see a way that they play doubles in Cincinnati and don’t play at the US Open,” Eubanks said.
“To me, I don’t think you come together and play in Cincinnati and don’t try to play in New York.”
The situation is less certain when it comes to Serena’s singles campaign.
Eubanks pointed to Williams’ approach before Wimbledon, when she waited before accepting her wildcard rather than committing to the singles draw immediately.
“I definitely look forward to hopefully seeing them in New York. In terms of Serena in singles, I think everyone kind of knows, if Serena wants to play singles then she is going to play singles.”
For Eubanks, that means the decision ultimately rests with Williams and her assessment of whether her body is ready for another demanding singles tournament.
The former ATP player was encouraged by what he saw from Serena in Cincinnati, particularly her movement following the knee issue.
“The knee looked fine yesterday; Serena was crossing and pouring in doubles more than I had ever seen her,” he said.
But Eubanks stressed that the immediate aftermath of the match could be more revealing than the performance itself.
“I think based on how she feels today will probably have a huge part in whether we are able to see her on a singles court in New York.”
That could be particularly important given the physical demands of singles compared with doubles. Williams’ Cincinnati appearance provided evidence that she can still move effectively on court, but her ability to recover from the workload will offer a clearer indication of whether another singles run is realistic.
Why the US Open would mean so much to Serena Williams
There is also an obvious emotional reason for Williams to target New York.
The US Open is where Serena won her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999, beating Martina Hingis in the final as a 17-year-old.
She went on to win the tournament five more times, lifting the trophy again in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Her six singles titles at Flushing Meadows put her level with Chris Evert for the most by a woman in the Open era.
Williams has also won 108 singles matches at the US Open, more than at any other Grand Slam.
That history makes another singles appearance in New York particularly significant, but the decision appears unlikely to be driven by sentiment alone.
Her Wimbledon return demonstrated that Williams remains willing to test herself in singles, while the knee injury showed the physical risks involved in attempting a comeback at this stage of her career.
Cincinnati offered an encouraging next step, but Eubanks’ assessment underlines the distinction between being able to compete in one doubles match and being ready to withstand the demands of a singles campaign at a Grand Slam.
For now, Williams’ body may have the final say.
If the knee responds well to the Cincinnati workload, another chapter in her extraordinary US Open history could still be written.